Several projects underway in Joplin

JOPLIN, Mo. – There’s a lot of construction taking place in Joplin from homes to businesses and things in between.

With each passing month it seems more projects are popping up across Joplin. There’s areas with obvious work in progress and others where most of what’s happening is hidden behind historic walls. Joplin Area Chamber of Commerce President Toby Teeter says there’s efforts in place for more projects. “There is ongoing efforts to attract additional retail opportunities that will add to the livability of Joplin, we’re working on some things including grocery stores, movie theaters, that really make this community a little more dynamic and have more things to do.”

On the commercial side the 32nd Street Place, which will be anchored by Menards, is underway. There’s additional retail work taking place, like the site work on the future Braum’s at 26th and Main. Teeter says “More and more other areas of the city are starting to take off and a lot of adaptive reuse of existing buildings, I think the next chapter is a lot of the historic buildings in downtown Joplin are going to take new lives.”

That next chapter is something that Lori Haun and the Downtown Joplin alliance are keeping a close eye on. “We definitely have reached a level of momentum with downtown projects and it’s becoming visible enough that even people who aren’t intimately involved in it can see it happening.”

With a new hotel coming soon and two buildings being revamped for apartments, Haun’s looking forward to what this could mean for downtown Joplin. Haun says “Rehabbing an old building is great and it’s exciting to see that happen but, brand new construction where there’s been nothing before is really noticeable just for the average passersby that way, so, I think both of those in hand are part of what’s making it so successful.”

But, there’s something in the way of more robust growth. “Really, our biggest prohibitors of growth right now is talent attraction and retention and affordable housing and we’re really focused on those now.”

Teeter says they’re continuing to look at ways to solve those problems to continue growth in the city.

Lori Haun tells us between 2017 and 2020 there was $55 million in downtown project investments. She’s estimating more than $100 million in downtown project investments over the next four years.

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